'The Handsy Man': TV host pens kids' book on harassment

Whenever a celebrity is asked to fill in as host on a major talk show, it's important they leave their mark.

And Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross did just that on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, US time, when she presented a Dr Seuss-style children's book to explain sexual harassment to viewers.

The book, called The Handsy Man uses rhymes and colourful pictures to explain that yes, the bar for harassment isn't as high as many people think.

'There is a guy, with ten long fingers ...' actress and comedian Tracee Ellis Ross reads from her book, 'The Handsy Man', on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on Tuesday. Photo: YouTube

"There is a guy with 10 long fingers;

"Creepy glares, and hugs that linger;

"If you're a woman, you're not a fan;

"I speak, of course, of The Handsy Man."

And on it goes.

"So Handsy Man, if you're still confused;

"Whether your behaviour will be excused;

"I'll say it clearly, nice and slow;

"If she doesn't consent - the answer is NO!"

Tracee Ellis Ross said she had to address the issue of sexual harassment during her time as fill-in host on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Photo: YouTube

Ellis Ross said she couldn't avoid the topic of sexual harassment once she was given the platform to host the show for Kimmel, who had taken leave to care for his sick baby, who underwent heart surgery.

"There is something I want to talk about tonight and that is the Hollywood harassment scandal. Let's start with the fact it isn't a sex scandal," Ross told the audience. "It isn't a Hollywood scandal. It isn't even a scandal. It is a systemic problem about the abuse of power that takes place across all industries, and had enabled a culture of inequity to persist for far too long."

She said she was emboldened by the number of women who had come forward to share their stories.

Tracee Ellis Ross: '[Sexual harassment] is a systemic problem about the abuse of power that takes place across all industries, and had enabled a culture of inequity to persist for far too long.' Photo: AP

"Treating another human being with respect isn't complicated, but it seems a bit confusing for a lot of men out there," she said. "So, I wrote a book. It's kind of like a children's book for men that's going to make this really simple and just bring them back to the basics."

Ellis Ross hosted the show less than a day before Time magazine named the sexual harassment whistleblowers, including singer Taylor Swift and actress Rose McGowan as its Person of the Year.